When Good Things Get in the Way: Building Kingdom Influence Through Love
In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves caught between good intentions and God’s best plans. The church in Corinth faced this exact challenge – they were gifted, they loved Jesus, but they had allowed divisions to creep in that were crushing their influence in their community.
What Causes Division in the Church?
The Corinthian church wasn’t struggling with major theological errors or moral failures. Their problem was more subtle and perhaps more dangerous: they were allowing good things to get in the way of the best thing. Paul addressed them directly: “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit, but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.” This was shocking to a spiritually gifted congregation, but it revealed a crucial truth.
The Problem of Labeling Over Loving
The Corinthians had fallen into the trap of creating camps around their favorite teachers. Some said “I follow Paul,” others “I follow Apollos,” and still others “I follow Cephas.” They were labeling themselves and others based on preferences rather than focusing on Christ. This tendency to label and then dismiss people based on those labels is just as dangerous today. When we label someone and write them off, we miss the whole point of what it means to follow Jesus.
Why Do We Compare Instead of Trust?
Paul uses a powerful illustration about building materials to explain the difference between worldly and spiritual approaches to growth. We can build with “gold, silver, costly stones” – which represents the patient work of the Holy Spirit – or with “wood, hay, or straw” – the quick fixes that culture offers.
The Sibling Rivalry Syndrome
Think about children splitting a can of Coca-Cola, carefully measuring to ensure each glass has exactly the same amount. The issue isn’t really provision – it’s perception. We act like siblings who’ve forgotten how generous our Father really is. Most church conflicts aren’t about major doctrinal differences. They’re about feeling like there isn’t enough – enough attention, enough resources, enough blessing to go around.
What Does It Mean That We Are God’s Temple?
Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are God’s temple, both individually and collectively. This isn’t just a nice metaphor – it’s a profound truth about our identity and purpose. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s story is about creating spaces where heaven and earth connect. The tabernacle, the temple, Jesus himself, and now us – we are the places where God’s presence dwells on earth.
The Sacred Nature of Community
When we understand that we are God’s temple together, it changes how we treat one another. Destroying unity in the church isn’t just unfortunate – it’s destroying something sacred that God has built.
How Do We Stop Living Like There Isn’t Enough?
Paul delivers a game-changing truth: “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” The divisions and jealousies aren’t rooted in arrogance – they’re rooted in forgetfulness. We’ve forgotten how amazing God is, how much He loves us, and how abundant His kingdom really is.
When Christ Is Enough
What if most of our relational tensions come from living as if everything is limited? What if we’ve forgotten that if Christ is ours, everything is already ours? When we truly believe that Jesus is enough, we stop grasping and start growing. We stop competing and start collaborating. We stop labeling and start loving.
How Does Love Shape Our Relationships?
The gospel doesn’t just save us – it’s meant to transform how we relate to one another. Formation takes time, intention, and trust – three things our culture struggles with. Relationships built on comparison and division won’t last, but relationships shaped by Christ absolutely will. The evidence of our growth on the foundation of Jesus is love.
Moving from Worldly to Spiritual Relationships
Paul challenges us to examine whether we’re relating by cultural standards or Holy Spirit standards. Are we still acting like “mere humans” when we’re called to be so much more? The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. We need to regularly check our perspectives against Scripture and spend time with the Lord, especially with the constant flow of information coming at us.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to live as if Jesus is enough. Ask yourself: “Where am I still comparing instead of trusting? Where am I looking and thinking I’m not getting enough?” Instead of grasping for more, focus on growing in your relationship with Christ and others.
Consider these questions as you reflect on this message:
- In what areas of my life am I still living as if God’s kingdom is scarce rather than abundant?
- How have I been labeling people instead of loving them well?
- What would change in my relationships if I truly believed that Christ is enough?
- How can I build with “gold, silver, and costly stones” rather than settling for quick fixes this week?
Remember, when we stop competing for what we think is limited and start resting in God’s abundant love, our relationships heal and our influence for His kingdom begins to flourish.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
